The present invention relates to snow removal equipment and, in particular, to equipment adapted for attachment to vehicles.
A snow blower is shown in applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,663, dated May 1, 1979, which is capable of being attached to the front of the transport vehicle such as the front end of a railroad engine. A snow thrower in the form of a fan type blower is flanked on each of its lateral sides by a clearing screw in the form of a helical worm which rotates about a vertical axis. Each of the clearing screws is provided with a deflector which extends along the entire length of the screw. The deflector is hinged along one edge by a piano hinge or the like and is swingable about the axis of this hinge by a hydraulic motor from a position adjacent the generatrix of the clearing screw to a position spaced at an angular relationship thereto. In this manner, the deflector can be swung like a door or flap so as to be positioned selectively with respect to the surface associated clearing screw to guide snow collected along the outer edges of the clearing screw into the clearing screw itself and from thence, onto the fan. To permit use of the apparatus in solidly frozen snow, the deflector is swung to the rearmost position where it remains inactive and not subject to damage by the frozen snow. Nevertheless, practical experience has shown that such a deflector, as is described in the aforementioned patent, while very useful, can be easily damaged, particularly when swung into its inactive position.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to improve the design of the snow removal equipment of this type so as to provide deflectors which have greater strength and stability.
It is another object of the present invention to improve the design of the deflector in order to facilitate their more selective adjustability and to enable their effectiveness in a greater number of selected positions.
The foregoing objects, as well as other objects and advantages will be clearly apparent from the following disclosure of the present invention.